Hubert Hurkacz brushes past Sebastian Korda to reach Shanghai final

Hubert Hurkacz secured his place in the final of the Rolex Shanghai Masters with a straight sets win over Sebastian Korda.

Hurkacz produced a dominating performance, not facing a single break point and winning 85 per cent of points behind his first serve, en route to a 77-minute, 6-3, 6-4 victory over the American.

With the win, the world No. 17 is through to a Masters 1000 final for a third consecutive season, having won the title in Miami in 2021 and having made the final in Montreal in 2022.

‘’I’m just really happy with my performance today,” Hurkacz said after the match.

“I was serving well, playing some good groundstrokes and definitely putting pressure on Sebi from the ground.’’

Hurkacz, who has hit an impressive 77 aces over the course of his run in Shanghai, revealed he has been working on becoming more ‘difficult’ to play against and highlighted the importance of staying 'mentally strong'.

‘’I’m working on being difficult to play against,” he continued.

“It’s the same with every opponent. They try to come out with their best foot forward that day and they’re trying to [implement] their tactics or plan against you.

‘’You’ve just got to stay mentally strong and really battle.’’

Hurkacz will take on No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev in Sunday’s final as he continues his quest for a second Masters 1000 title and seventh ATP Tour title overall.

Should the Pole lift the trophy, he would rise from 13th to 11th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin.